Change My Mind
by Sportafan
Summary: Stephanie has always admired Sportacus, but when she begins to develop a crush on him, Sportacus pushes her away. Hurt by the rejection, Stephanie is able to find comfort, and eventually, love in an unexpected place. Pairing should be pretty obvious.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Change my Mind  
**Author:**Sportafan  
**Rating:** PG-13 for a bit of mild language and some innuendo, if you squint  
**Summary:**Stephanie has always admired Sportacus, but when she begins to develop a crush on him, Sportacus pushes her away. Hurt by the rejection, Stephanie is able to find comfort, and eventually, love in an unexpected place.  
**Disclaimer:**I neither own LazyTown, nor am I making any profit off of my fanfiction. This is simply a way for me to pass my evenings and, hopefully, entertain people at the same time.  
**Author's Notes:** I started writing this _months_ ago, with every intention of finishing it before the summer. Clearly, as it is well into July now, that never happened. In fact, I only have one other chapter written. I'm hoping that by posting this up now, I'll _have _to finish in a timely manner, provided people are actually reading it. In any event, this is my first attempt at chaptered fanfiction. The real pairing should be pretty obvious. :-)

ENJOY!

Chapter One

"Sportacus, I love you."

She spoke with a confidence that she didn't feel. This was different from anything she'd ever done before. Certainly she had gone through many nerve-wracking experiences; competing against an enlarged dancing toy and attempting to take Sportacus' place as LazyTown's superhero were just a few such times that came to mind. But she rarely bared her heart to anyone, and it had never concerned love.

Stephanie groaned. "It feels wrong," she said.

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Sounded fine to me."

It was August, the time when summer slows down and the whole world seems to let out a collective sigh as it finishes its whirlwind of warm-weather activities. Stephanie and Trixie were seated on the brick wall that surrounded the sports field, watching the children of the town play a somewhat violent game of touch-football. Sportacus wasn't joining in on the fun, but that didn't mean he wasn't around somewhere, rescuing a kitten or scouting the area for Robbie Rotten, who hadn't stopped his attack on healthy activities even though his original victims had grown up.

"It's just three little words," Stephanie muttered under her breath as she picked at the weeds growing in between the bricks. "Why are they so hard to say?"

"You've got me," Trixie replied.

"You're not being very helpful," Stephanie accused.

"What do you want me to say?" her friend asked. "You know I'm no good at talking about my _feelings_." She emphasized the word as though it were taboo.

"I know."

Stephanie often found herself wishing for more girl friends. Trixie was a lot of fun to be with, but when it came to matters of the heart, you had more luck talking to a tree. And yet, she had been in a relationship with Stingy for what would be three years this winter. Stingy had surprised _everyone_—Trixie most of all—when he came up behind her after ice skating one afternoon, wrapped his arms around her, and whispered, "_Mine_," into her ear, then sealed the claim with a kiss.

There was no chance of that happening with Sportacus, though. While Trixie had confided in Stephanie about her crush years before Stingy came forward to admit his own love, Sportacus had _never_ revealed anything about his private life to _anyone_. Always the listener, never the one needing help.

_Do superheroes even fall in love?_ Stephanie wondered, not for the first time.

_That_was the million dollar question. Peter Parker had Mary Jane, Clark Kent had Lois Lane, but what about real-life heroes? Unlike Spider-Man and Superman, Sportacus had no reason to keep his friends at a distance, not with the bumbling Robbie as his only "enemy", so there couldn't be a problem. Unless…

"What if he still sees me as a kid?" Stephanie worried her lower lip and looked over at Trixie.

But her friend's mind was clearly somewhere else. "That's a _foul_, Steven!" she yelled at the kids. "The game is _touch_-football, not run-your-opponent-into-the-ground ball!" Trixie turned back to Stephanie. "Sorry. Did you say something?"

Stephanie sighed and shook her head. "Never mind."

"Steph, we've gone through this so many times! If I wasn't able to answer your questions two days ago, do you think I'll have a solution today? Just _tell him_already. It's Sportacus. You can trust him."

"Trust me with what?"

Both Stephanie and Trixie jumped a bit in surprise. As was his habit, Sportacus had seemingly appeared out of thin air and was standing beside Stephanie. Her heart sped up. If she moved her hand just a few inches, she would be able to touch his own strong hands…

_Get a grip on yourself!_ she chided silently.

She was about to tell Sportacus it was nothing when Trixie answered his question herself. "Stephanie was just saying she wanted to talk to you about something."

Stephanie's eyes widened and she turned to gape at her friend. Why would Trixie…? How _could_ she…? Trixie shrugged and rose, turning her attention back to the children's game. "Steven! What did I _just_ tell you?"

Stephanie watched her friend's receding back and suddenly felt very alone. She didn't have much time to reflect on Trixie's betrayal, though, as Sportacus was looking at her expectantly.

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked, sitting down next to her.

Stephanie's mouth went dry, and she wet her lips. "I… Uhm, that is… Well, what I _want_ to say…" She looked down at her hands and whispered, "I love you."

"I didn't quite catch that." Sportacus leaned forward and Stephanie leaped up, unable to stand such closeness.

"I love you!" she repeated loudly.

The children suddenly quieted and when Stephanie looked over her shoulder, she found that they had stopped playing entirely and were watching with rapt attention. Trixie gave her a small smile of encouragement.

Stephanie turned back to Sportacus. Her stomach dropped. She hadn't been expecting him to return her affection, but she didn't think he would look as… _baffled_ as he did now.

"_What?_"

That one word was Stephanie's undoing. Her eyes began to water and she felt unexpectedly sick. Sportacus saw this and his superhero instinct kicked in. Grabbing her hand, he led her a few yards away, where his airship hovered above them. "Water," he commanded and a bottle tumbled from the ship. He thrust it at Stephanie, who took a few careful sips.

Once she was feeling a little better, Sportacus said another word, one that made her knees want to cave out from under her:

"Explain."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Stephanie took a long drink of water, hoping to buy herself a bit more time.

What did Sportacus mean? Explain what? She thought she'd been clear. "I love you" wasn't difficult to understand, was it? There was no way it could be misconstrued.

When the bottle was empty, Stephanie turned reluctantly back to Sportacus. "I love you," she said for the third time, wondering at how the words were easier to say now. "I can't see how that needs an explanation."

Sportacus hesitated. "You mean you love me like a _father_, right? Or a brother?" His eyes begged her to say yes; to take the way out that he'd provided her.

Stephanie suddenly felt very angry at him for trying to belittle her feelings. "No, Sportacus!" she cried, and her eyes began to water again. "That's not what I mean at all!" She took a deep breath to steady herself and wished the tears would stop blurring her vision. "I've always admired you, but somewhere along the way, that admiration developed into something more. I've had a crush on you for almost six years!"

Sportacus showed no emotion. "Six years is a very long time, Stephanie," he said softly.

"Don't you think I know that?!" she snapped back. "When I went away to the university, I was certain that my feelings for you would fade. That I would meet someone else and fall for them. But every guy who approached me failed to meet my expectations. In my mind, I had the image of the perfect man; the man I wanted to love." She gave the superhero a hesitant smile. "It was you."

Sportacus was silent for a long time. When he finally opened his mouth to speak, Stephanie almost hoped he would yell at her. Ask her why she was unable to move on with her life. Ask her the same questions she asked herself on a regular basis. If he was going to reject her—and he was, Stephanie was certain of it—could he at least do it without feeling sorry for her?

But he was Sportacus, and the only time he raised his voice was to call out greetings to people, or to give commands to his airship.

"I'm flattered, Stephanie." _Are you?_ she wanted to interrupt, but her throat had closed up. "But I just can't see you as—"

He trailed off, obviously at a loss. Stephanie swallowed and managed to finish it for him, though she couldn't keep her voice from sounding harsh. "As anything more than a child."

Sportacus nodded. Stephanie gave him a small, bitter smile. "I understand," she said tightly.

"I'm very sorry." He sounded sincere, but Stephanie felt no better for it. "We can still be friends, right?"

Stephanie looked away, blinking hard. There it was. That infamous line. Stephanie had never known how much damage it could deal until now.

She suddenly felt guilty for ruining their relationship. And it _was_ ruined; Stephanie didn't try to disillusion herself about it. The trust was no longer there, nor was the closeness. Even if she got over her heartache and moved on, there would always be an awkwardness between them. A broken glass may be mended, and perhaps even used again, but the cracks will always be visible, the fragility gone forever.

Stephanie was tempted to refuse. Did Sportacus really expect them to act as though nothing had happened? He could probably pretend, but she couldn't.

_But storming away now and ignoring him for the rest of the summer would be pointless_, Stephanie told herself, _not to mention immature._ She grimaced. _Then he'd think even less of me._

She took a deep breath, let it out slowly, then turned back to Sportacus. He seemed anxious, and Stephanie suddenly hated him a little for caring so much. It would have been so much easier if _he_ had walked away.

_Easier_, she thought with a sigh, _and so unlike him_.

"Of course we can," she replied, smiling a little too widely and giving herself away.

Sportacus didn't seem to notice. Instead, he looked relieved, almost happy. Stephanie hated him for that, too.

In the heavy silence that followed, Stephanie realized that every conversation with Sportacus from now on would end this way. Unspoken words, promises, might-have-beens, confessions, and guilt would fill the emptiness between them until it became unbearable and they would have to rush off somewhere to escape it. Hardly the outcome Stephanie had imagined when she'd thought of finally opening up to Sportacus.

"So," Sportacus said at last, "I'll see you around."

"Yeah," Stephanie replied softly. "Sure."

He waved farewell and executed a series of complicated flips, no doubt off to save the town from its usual complications.

_As though nothing happened_, Stephanie thought sullenly.

She returned to the sports field and found that Stingy had joined Trixie on the wall. Seeing the couple holding hands and conversing in low voices with heads bent close, Stephanie couldn't help the acute pang of jealously that hit her almost as hard as Sportacus' rejection.

"Hey!" Trixie said, looking up when Stephanie approached them. "How'd it—"

Stephanie snatched her bag from the ground and shook her head. "Not now, Trixie." She paused, then amended: "In fact, never. We won't discuss him again."

"Stephanie…"

Trixie's voice pleaded for her to stay and talk through it, but Stephanie wasn't sure she could bear it. The last thing she wanted to do was relive the devastating incident.

So she ignored Trixie and hurried away from the sports field, determined to find someplace, anyplace, that wouldn't remind her of Sportacus. _Easier said than done,_ she thought bitterly. There were childhood memories all over the town, and not a few of them involved the hero.

And suddenly it came to her. No one would ever look for her there.

_I might even ask Robbie for some ice cream,_ Stephanie thought absently to herself as she started towards the edge of town. _Not that he'd share… _

She snorted a little at the irony. Paying a friendly call to Robbie Rotten? Had anyone ever done that before? Stephanie's eyes widened at the thought of never having visitors over. Why, he had to be lonelier than she felt now, though he'd never admit it.

_I'll do it,_ she resolved.

--

"Think she'll be alright?" Trixie asked, turning to Stingy.

"Yeah," he replied as he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I know she's liked Sportacus for years, but she just needs to give someone else a chance. There's bound to be a guy out there who will change her mind."

Trixie smiled and rested her head on Stingy's shoulder. "I'm sure you're right," she said.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Change my Mind  
**Author:** Sportafan  
**Rating:** PG-13 for a bit of mild language and some possible innuendo, both of which will be in future chapters  
**Summary:** Stephanie has always admired Sportacus, but when she begins to develop a crush on him, Sportacus pushes her away. Hurt by the rejection, Stephanie is able to find comfort, and eventually, love in an unexpected place.  
**Disclaimer:**I neither own LazyTown, nor am I making any profit off of my fanfiction. This is simply a way for me to pass my evenings and, hopefully, entertain people at the same time.  
**Author's Notes:** I cannot tell you how sorry I am for not updating this story in almost a year. I guess this is why I usually stick to one-shots... Anyway, here's the third chapter of "Change My Mind." My main concern is that I didn't keep Robbie in character, but we'll see. Hope you enjoy it! :-) (And I promise you, I will update more often now that school is finally out of the way.)

**Chapter Three**

Ten minutes later, Stephanie found herself pacing outside the "secret" entrance to Robbie's house, gnawing her bottom lip. She was nervous, though she couldn't understand why. It was _Robbie Rotten_, of all people. He could be brusque at times, but Stephanie was aware that he really wasn't as tough as he pretended to be. She suspected that he wasn't so much concerned with running Sportacus out of town as he was with just getting some attention.

_So if he's not a bad guy, why can't I bring myself to knock on his door?_

Probably because she had no idea what to say when he answered. How does one explain one's presence at the home of the most avoided man in LazyTown?

"I just had my heart broken by Sportacus and wanted to see if you had any need of an assistant to help with your schemes" sounded ridiculous. Robbie would, of course, refuse any aid offered him. Revenge was not the best answer anyway, and Stephanie was a little horrified at herself for even considering it.

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by to see how you're doing" was just as nonsensical. There _was_ no "neighborhood" to speak of near Robbie's house, and who goes out of their way to visit a peeling billboard outside of town? In Stephanie's case, it made sense; she'd wanted to get away from Sportacus for a while. But could she really tell Robbie what had just passed between her and the superhero? She hadn't wanted to discuss it with Trixie, her best friend. Why would she tell Robbie?

"Can you spare a cup of sugar?" Stephanie doubted Robbie would spare her _anything_, let alone a grain of his precious sugar.

"I'm looking for some company" didn't make much sense, either. It wasn't as though Stephanie's friends were out of town. Not to mention her intentions could be misunderstood… It sounded more like a pick-up line than anything else.

For a brief moment, Stephanie's curiosity rose. Why not try it? Dating Robbie would certainly show Sportacus. _Show him what?_ she asked herself, a little bitterly. _He doesn't like you like that, remember? Why would he care who you dated?_ Besides, it wouldn't do to use Robbie like that. He probably wouldn't even be interested, and Stephanie didn't want to embarrass herself for the second time today.

"You're being ridiculous," she muttered to herself. "You walked all the way out here for nothing?" She sighed. There wasn't much else to do. She cast a glance over her shoulder. Even though the trip to the billboard had calmed her a little, she still didn't feel up to seeing anyone. At the same time, she felt desperate for some company. Someone who didn't know about what had just happened, or about her feelings for Sportacus at all. Someone who wouldn't look at her with pity or forcefully try to cheer her up.

Robbie was just who she needed to see right now.

"Okay…" Stephanie whispered.

She approached the pipe that served as the entrance to Robbie's "lair," looked around uncertainly for a moment, then hesitantly knocked on the metal door.

Robbie Rotten was lonely.

Not that he would ever, _ever_ consider admitting it. He didn't like to be reminded of it himself, and as soon as the ache for company rose, he immediately quashed it by going to the drawing board to think up a new scheme. Trying to trick the children was as close as he got to having any kind of social interaction most days, and that was fine with him.

At least, he managed to convince himself that it was fine. He never stopped to consider that maybe the loneliness kept coming back because the ploys _weren't_ enough to suppress it.

In any case, while Stephanie was outside wrestling with herself, Robbie was inside, lounging in his orange armchair (which was starting to look a bit tattered) and trying to take his mind off his solitude by eating a large piece of cake smothered in frosting.

-----

When Stephanie finally made up her mind and rapped on Robbie's door, the sound jarred Robbie so much that he almost fell out of his chair. He caught his balance just in time, but the cake was not so lucky; it landed frosting-side down. Robbie was too confused by the knocking to grumble over losing his dessert.

"Who on Earth…?" he asked himself. "It's probably just a salesman. They'll go awa—"

Whoever-it-was knocked again. Robbie huffed and stormed over to his periscope. While he pretended to be angry at the disturbance, he was curious. He couldn't remember the last time he'd received a visitor, or if such an event had even happened at all.

When Robbie saw a taller, more mature version of the pink-haired twerp he used to plot against, his curiosity was replaced with surprise, which immediately dissolved into annoyance. Aside from Sportacus, _she_ was the last person he'd expect to find on his doorstep.

"She must _want_ something," he muttered, though he couldn't even begin to imagine what that something could possibly be.

Though the curiosity returned, Robbie firmly ignored it. He was bent on enjoying the day as much as possible, and enjoyment did not include pink-haired girls. Or women, as she was obviously beyond girlhood now. For the briefest of moments, Robbie's mind turned over the fact that it was indeed a _woman_ who was knocking on his door. A rather attractive woman, if he was honest with himself. But honesty was not a characteristic that Robbie put much stock in, and so he impatiently dismissed the thought.

He was just about to lower himself back into his chair when a third knock came, more insistent this time. Robbie leapt up, exasperated. "I'll just see what she wants, refuse to give anything to her, and tell her to get off my property," he said to himself as he stalked over to the ladder that led up to the surface.

_Maybe he's not home_, Stephanie thought after her third knock.

She was about to leave when the wheel on top of the pipe began to turn. Suddenly, Stephanie felt foolish for coming here. Of course, it was too late to retreat now, so she straightened her posture and tried to look cheerful.

The top of the pipe slowly swung open, and it took a moment for Stephanie to realize it wasn't theatrics; Robbie was genuinely having trouble pushing it up. She resisted a grin—_he hasn't changed at all_—and stepped forward to help him lift the metal cover.

"What do you want?" Robbie demanded as soon as he was out in the open.

He really hadn't changed, Stephanie decided, though there were a few subtle wrinkles around his eyes that hinted at his aging, and he looked a bit tired. _Disenchanted with the world, maybe?_ And suddenly Stephanie wondered if Robbie Rotten was, or had ever been, truly happy.

"Well?" Robbie pressed, drumming his fingers against the side of the pipe.

Stephanie forced herself to smile; not an easy task around someone who was looking as grumpy as Robbie did. "I just wanted to come by and see how you're doing," she replied, trying to make it sound genuine. "It's been a while."

Robbie studied her suspiciously. "So you don't _want_ something from me?"

Stephanie shook her head. "Maybe a polite conversation, but I always leave if you're busy."

The situation was so awkward, she half hoped he would send her on her way, but she still ached for company.

Robbie was clearly shaken by her response. "A visitor who doesn't want anything?" he murmured to himself. "Well," he said, looking at Stephanie, "I wasn't doing anything important…"

It was Stephanie's turn to be surprised. She had assumed that Robbie would turn her away no matter what reason she gave for being there. _I need to stop jumping to conclusions,_ she thought, and was immediately reminded of her encounter with Sportacus; _that_ certainly hadn't gone as expected. She cringed, and Robbie raised an eyebrow.

"If you don't want to come in, then you shouldn't have knocked," he told her, obviously thinking she had winced at the thought of entering his home.

"Oh, that's not it at all!" she hurried to assure him. "It's just… Well, life hasn't really worked out the way I thought it would since I graduated," she explained.

"Life never works out for me," Robbie replied gloomily.

He started down the ladder, then paused to look up at her. "Are you coming or not?" he asked.

Stephanie filed his comment about life away for later consideration and followed him down the pipe, into the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** Change my Mind  
**Author:** Sportafan  
**Rating:** PG-13 for a bit of mild language and some possible innuendo, both of which will be in future chapters  
**Summary:** Stephanie has always admired Sportacus, but when she begins to develop a crush on him, Sportacus pushes her away. Hurt by the rejection, Stephanie is able to find comfort, and eventually, love in an unexpected place.  
**Disclaimer:** I neither own LazyTown, nor am I making any profit off of my fanfiction. This is simply a way for me to pass my evenings and, hopefully, entertain people at the same time.  
**Author's Notes:** Hooray, no long wait this time! My biggest concern, again, is keeping Robbie in character. I also feel like I should apologize for the slowness of the story, but I'm trying to keep it as realistic as possible. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Four

Though he was trying his hardest not to show it, Robbie was nervous. He couldn't understand why someone—especially one of the people he used to scheme against—would want a "polite conversation" with him. It had been so long since anyone had talked to him, he wasn't even sure if he was _capable_ of engaging in a conversation, let alone a polite one.

As he watched Stephanie poke around his home, he was acutely aware of how much of a dump it must seem to her. Never one for organization, Robbie was content to toss something over his shoulder and leave it wherever it landed. He could see now that this method was probably not the most ideal. Clothes, especially bits and pieces from costumes, were strewn all over the floor. A few ants were already in the process of carrying away chunks from the cake he'd dropped earlier. Just about everything was covered by a layer of dust, and his comfortable orange chair suddenly seemed incredibly tacky and ratty.

"I'm sorry for the mess," Robbie finally said.

Stephanie looked over her shoulder and shrugged. "It's better than some dorm rooms I've seen," she replied.

"That's probably not saying much," Robbie said dryly.

Stephanie laughed. "No, not really," she agreed.

She crossed the room to the area where he kept his disguises and hatched his plans. Robbie became even more self-conscious and he hurried over to her side.

"You don't want to look at that stuff."

"Are you kidding?" She grinned at him. "I've been curious about this 'stuff' ever since I was a little girl."

Robbie sighed. "Would telling you it's top-secret stop you from prying?"

"No," Stephanie answered truthfully. She leaned forward to examine the pilgrim outfit that was on display in the first tube. "These are great! Do you make them yourself?"

Robbie snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm too busy doing nothing all day. Besides, I don't even know how to thread a needle. The machine makes them somehow."

Stephanie raised an eyebrow. "You don't know how your own equipment works?"

He shrugged. "As long as it does what it's supposed to do, I don't question it."

"Huh." Stephanie straightened and walked past the other disguises. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to the periscope. She started towards it, but Robbie stepped in front of her, spreading his arms wide.

"That really is secret," he said quickly.

Stephanie tried to peer over his shoulder, but she was several inches shorter and could not get a good look. She shrugged. Robbie had been surprisingly patient while she explored his lair thus far; she didn't want to ruin his mood by prying. "Alright," she said, turning away. "Keep your secrets."

Robbie relaxed. He wasn't sure how Stephanie would react if she discovered he had been spying on the town this whole time.

_Not,_ he added sternly to himself, _that I actually _care_ about her reactions. I just don't want to explain myself to her._

But this was only part of the truth. Whether he realized it or not, Robbie was actually starting to warm up to the idea of having a visitor in his home. She might even come back—but not if she knew about the periscope.

"So what about that conversation?" Robbie asked, following her back to the main area of his lair.

"Oh, right." Stephanie gnawed on her bottom lip. She still didn't know what to talk about. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. I haven't seen you in a while." _Lame_, she scolded herself.

Robbie was taken aback. She actually _cared_ about how he was? Once again, his surprise quickly shifted to suspicion. Who ever asked the villain how he was doing? Did Batman visit The Joker to check up on his well-being? Preposterous. She had to have a hidden agenda, and he immediately knew what it was.

"Sportacus sent you, didn't he?"

Stephanie looked shocked. "Excuse me?"

"He sent you to spy on me. See if you could sniff out my next plan. Catch a glimpse of my disguises."

"That's not it at all. I just—"

But he didn't give her a change to explain herself. He knew he was right; he _had_ to be. She couldn't possibly be here of her own accord. He pursed his lips. "Get out."

Stephanie tried once more. "Robbie, please listen to me."

Robbie pointed to the ladder. "Out," he repeated, louder this time.

She cast about frantically in her mind, trying to find something that would make it better, but she was as helpless as she had been during her confrontation with Sportacus. She hated not being in control of a situation.

Sighing, Stephanie started towards the ladder, but it just didn't feel right to leave this way. Robbie was wrong about her, and she wanted to prove it.

She spun around and found Robbie's back turned to her; this did not dissuade her. "I really do like your costumes, Robbie" she told him. "And I think you're a very clever man." Then, as an afterthought, she added: "Though I wish you would use your talent for something more productive than simply trying to drive Sportacus out of town."

Robbie didn't respond, and Stephanie, having nothing more to say, started up the ladder.

-----

_Was I wrong?_

The question nagged Robbie for the rest of the day, even after he had settled back into his chair with a fresh slice of cake. But there was no other reasonable explanation for Stephanie's visit. She and Sportacus had been inseparable before Stephanie left for college; it only seemed right that they would pair up to bring Robbie down now that she had returned.

Still, what Stephanie had said before she left bothered him. Mere flattery—or the truth?

"Oh, it doesn't matter!" Robbie said out loud. "She's not coming back, and I don't want her to."

In the large room, his voice echoed slightly. He huddled into his chair and tried not to think about how big of a liar he was.

-----

_A spy? _Really_?_

Stephanie was irritated. Only Robbie would come up with an explanation like that. She stormed back towards town, upset with the way things had turned out. Not that she could blame Robbie; she _had_ just been using him, though not for the reason he'd accused her of.

"Like it even worked," she muttered under her breath.

Then she paused. "Did it?"

Stephanie carefully reviewed her visit with Robbie, and realized that the whole time she'd been there—up until he'd charged her with spying for Sportacus, at least—she hadn't once thought about the superhero, or her broken heart.

Suddenly, a ridiculous idea came to her. Why not try to befriend Robbie Rotten? Certainly, it would be hard work to win his trust, especially after today's episode, but she needed someone who could take her mind off of Sportacus, and Robbie seemed desperately in need of a friend, even though he would never admit it himself.

_What could it hurt?_ Stephanie thought.

She grinned and resumed her trek back home, not realizing that the plans she started hatching along the way completely removed Sportacus from her mind once more.


End file.
